boot up!

i'm borrowing from Barney Stinson here people.  as one of the best characters EVER on tv - one needs to quote when one can.  and since i don't really ever "suit up!" - let's doctor it to "suit me" (haha) better and say BOOT UP! 

we know it's winter.  the first official day.  we know i hate cold.  and i know you most likely do too.  in the constant battle to stay stylish in this bastard weather - one of the key players in any girl's army is the boot.  styles galore to suit (oh, i'm sorry) your every need.   some of my favored obsessions are pictured above.
what shoe story would be complete without some Louboutin?  how about these cute bootie devils, on sale no less, at Saks... or the black classic, wear forever shape courtesy of one of my nirvana spots - the shoe salon at   Bergdorfs.   in line with classic shapes, one of my go-to favorites is the Matilde boot by Loeffler Randall, i love this saddle color, but i have them in grey also and they go with EVERYTHING.  lest we get bored by the classics -- i know i tend to -- another gem mined from Barney's,  Fiorentini and Baker keeps the world a more interesting and happy place for me.  these pirate boots are a major presence in my winter world, as are their over the knee boots.  speaking of which, i posted about these babies from Sam Edelman a while back, but lo and behold they are on sale now at Bloomies, so i would be a very naughty e-stylist indeed if i did not remind you... and you do know Christmas is coming so i cannot risk that.  the right boot can make all the difference so venture forth and find what works and wear it with all your stars out!

ps - to look for simliar shapes in prices all over the map - check out ShopStyle.com

boot camp

i have spent the past week attempting to hide under a cool, mossy rock.  it has been hotter than a brick oven in nyc.  apparently the hottest it has been in 33 years. and as much of a summer-lover as i am, i must admit, it got the best of me.  i was useless. however,  i have crawled out from under said rock now, and have now decided to alternate between enjoying snippets of sun and summer glory, and blasting the AC and looking at fall clothing so as not to faint in a puddley mess of heat stroke.

hardly surprising - guess what the first thing is to spring to mind?   yes, my style dolls - SHOES.  boots, to be precise.  i had a dream a few nights ago that my aunt gave me THE most AMAZING pair of boots that i had ever seen.  sadly, in the "real world" they don't exist.  how boring.  but of course i had to do some searching and see if there was anything close....and searching in my "real world" price range (again - BORING).  note to self - if sudden riches occur - boots most closely resembling dream boots are at Burberry....  a perfectly acceptable, and very desirable second place goes to these Sam Edelman boots...  love the color - love the height, love the heel.  that equals love, love, love.   and i knew a guy one time who said "all you need is love"... so there you have it.

non fiction

several facts for this sunny morning.

one - i am extremely excited to see the new Robin Hood movie.  as you may have gathered, i'm wildly obsessed with British history and all the myths and stories that go along with it.
two - Cate Blanchett is in the movie, and as you also may have gathered, i am obsessed with her.  the most perfect Maid Marion humanly possible.
three - my head is spinning at how AMAZING these custom made Roger Vivier boots are.  they were created for her, with her input, to wear in the film to go mucking through the forest and be a bad-ass superwoman and look fantastic at the same time. (precisely the reason i love her so)  the boots are beyond perfect - i would gladly sling some arrows to get my hands on them. 

(a little ps - Cate at Cannes for Robin Hood, wearing a gorge McQueen dress.  LOVE)

it's raining, it's pouring

 and rain boots are not boring.  they used to be -- when they were called "galoshes".  who wants to wear THAT?!?!

i remember one of the engagement photos of Princess Diana and Prince Charles.  (yep - i am that kind of Brit, thank you very much.  i have a nice collection of memorabilia) i was beyond obsessed.  she was wearing Hunter wellies - and she looked like the most glamorous creature i had ever seen.  years later - Kate Moss at Glastonbury festival - wearing the ultimate rocker chick outfit - and Hunter wellies to muck through the mud - again - style perfection. 

most likely after the Glastonbury photo - wellies got INSANELY popular here in the olde US of A.  and now, everyone and their little sister makes a rain boot.  if you're feeling traditional - the Hunter wellie will get you through any storm - including this disgusting mess outside my window right now.  if you're feeling a bit designer-y - Burberry is well in on the action as well.  and if you're feeling budget-y, Laila Rowe has a well priced and pretty adorbs collection of wellies to be had.

the rest of you may get soaked to the bone - but your feet will look cute and your tootsies will stay dry!

i am going on the Lam

just when i think i'm over fashion week - just when i think i have hit the wall - i find out how wrong i am - and how bendy my thresh-hold is when it comes to all things beautifully styled. now we know i'm a leather junkie. if you can make a beautiful piece of clothing out of leather - that just bends my noodle in the best possible way. and the leather in Derek Lam's collection knocked my cashmere socks off. LOVE. IT. and the hats? beyond. i went on a major fedora kick last year - and this has now reignited my flame. burn baby burn. there isn't much to say - these pieces are absolutely GORGE. it's a modern urban cowgirl dream. i am completely and utterly obsessed with that fringe belt, and the short sleeved leather jacket over the grey suede is so perfect i feel like i'm hallucinating. (as a side note, i have never in my life felt the need for thigh high boots more than i do at this moment...)

i am feeling a major fashion crush...

Photos: Marcio Madeira / FirstView.com

a peek inside my head

on a tuesday afternoon.... i'm not on the couch on the 18th floor. my hair is not in a ridiculous pouf pile atop my head (i'm just realizing as i write this that i walked my bf's parents dog with this hair. HOT). there is nothing particularly wrong with the sitcho here... but in my mind, maybe i just got it a little more together today...

let's have a lookie, shall we? ah yes, a cute utility dress from the Gap collection...good place to start. and since it's January, even in my head, a toasty pair of Plush fleece lined leggings (no - i'm not kidding. it's like god turned into a fashion designer) then, perhaps a gorgeous belt from Linea Pelle - probs from the vintage collection. and hey, it's not snowing in my mind, so i'll wear my fave suede booties! toss on a scarf or two from the closet, pile on a bunch of bracelets -- and i'm good to go. to another corner of my mind...

seeing spots

leopard print comes in and out and in and out of fashion like nothing else. it's having its most recent resurgence at the moment - and i'm close to getting sucked in this time round. it can be found on pretty much every single possible garment a female can wear. from a teeny thong to a full length faux fur coat.

for me personally - i only like my leopard in two locations. short dress jacket, or nestled on my feet. and as it is my greatest obsession - i am focusing on the shoe. ahhhh the shoe. i'm not the biggest fan of the leopard pump, although i freely admit there are may ladies who can fully pull it off. my taste goes to the leopard ankle boot.

of course the creme de la creme is monsieur Christian Louboutin. mais oui! these are the ones we truly lust for, n'est-ce pas? Neiman's, Saks, Barneys... you taunt me with Louboutin imagery! however, if we are feeling less than flush, there are of course other options. having done a bit of scouring of the olde interwebs, i found a couple of less pricey versions. the black bootie with the leopard heel is kind of a less "in your face" version too - if you're feeling a bit shy... Giuseppe Zanotti, and they also happen to be on sale at Piperlime. keep on going you say? ok...a pretty adorable pair of Charles by Charles David at Overstock.com and a cute little number at Nine West go even further down the price scale....

my mind is spinning and i'm seeing spots... but i like it!

ahoy!

avast ye mateys! arrrrgh... along with my fixation on wanting to be Queen Elizabeth I when i grow up, i harbor a secret fixation wanting to be a pirate. i think i have probably mentioned this before... but as i have only had 2 cups of coffee today i just don't remember.

(a little intermission here - i know i have not been posting as much recently - and i have missed it so. after dealing with some life stuff, i then had to deal with some business stuff and try and get the website up and working its best - please check it out - www.the-e-stylist.com and tell your friends - you know holiday season is coming -- gifts to find and parties to dress for!!)

back to pirate visions... so - i am beyond obsessed with Captain Jack Sparrow. and the movies just rocked my world thank you very much. so, as is my habit, i began to mentally morph into character. pirate-y necklace of a sword and heart from Me&Ro? check. skull ring from Me&Ro? check. boots, harder to nail down... nothing was perfect... i mean who WOULDN'T want Vivienne Westwood pirate boots? but it is easier to locate and return to God the Holy Grail than to find those boots. and i have things to do damn it. BUT WAIT!!!!! what is this????? the most perfect pirate boot EVER?!??!? i think so. Fiorentini and Baker don't seem to be able to do much wrong in the way of the boot...

if this color doesn't shiver yer timbers, there are a number of other GORGE colors to choose from - really amazing greys and the ever perfect black. leather, suede, whatever floats your pirate ship. and the leathers are beat up to look as if Jack Sparrow himself wore them. sigh. don't you just love it when a fashion character all comes together?

baby it's cold outside...

i was in a cloudy monday funk most of today. and when i tried to get dressed, i failed miserably the first two times. i did the whole thing, head to toe, went and sat at the computer, and NO. so i went back to try again. whole thing, head to toe, felt a bit better. went and sat at the computer. NO. i was beginning to really get on my own nerves, so i did what any rational person would do and put on my favorite old, most beat up pair of Levi's jeans (sadly they don't make my fave color any more but the style seems here to stay thank the denim lords) and my Fiorentini and Baker boots. it is entirely irrelevant what i put on on top, because the bottom half instantly made me feel content. i'm not trying to make any major statement here. just telling a story with a happy ending.

i heart cobbler

not the dessert. well, i actually do like cobbler - but that's not relevant here.

in the interest of planning all the delights i may want to bring into my life from the rush of fashion week, i have been thinking of ways to cut costs and corners in the wintery season. (and i know - i still must pontificate on things on point that will spark your lust - i promise i am getting my act together and weeding through...i blame the stomach flu)

one such genius method is finding a cobbler you like. i have found a place just a few blocks from my home. when you find this person - your life will be forever altered. (no pun intended) shoes and boots you thought had met their demise come springing back to life in new found glory. i had a pair of boots that i thought were dead to the world, and i was quite upset, as they were not of the "inexpensive" variety. BUT my cobbler slapped a new sole on, put some rubber on there to boot (hahahahaaaaaaaaa) and somehow erased every bit of evidence of the scratches and niks that had made them nearly dead. amazing. and then - the handbag. you know i do go on about spending on bags and shoes, as investment pieces. one of said investments, this bag, was a bit messy from a few years of tough love. the leather at the bottom had been ripped and in a few places worn to the bone. i was crazed at the thought of having to lose it - because i had seriously invested.... so i gave it a shot and took it to the lovely cobbler and my god if she did not make it new again. i was in awe when she pulled it out of the brown paper bag to show me. somehow - and i honestly still can't see seams or anything - i think perhaps she is magic... she made it perfect again.

i don't know why fall makes me all cobblery - maybe it is dessert related. but i will be taking another of my bags and a couple of pairs of shoes in - to breathe new life into them. (thereby saving me money from not buying new - and allowing me to go a bit more spendy for spring!)

boots mcgoots part deux

now, as i pointed out moments ago, i am in no rush for fall. i am, however, deep into fall research. or so it seems.

boots... i have one pair missing from the repetoire. a flat pair of black boots. i believe i elaborated on this point a while back, and posted a pair of boots i will certainly not stop lusting for... in an effort to balance out the playing field, i am continuing the hunt. it's only right. (seeing as i am self employed AND it's still about 100 degrees, i don't have to rush).

Piperlime, oh Piperlime... you share the love of shoes... and you share the love of these cute Chinese Laundry boots... snap em up or snap em down... kind of freakin adorable... i have seen them in no less than 4 magazines this month, so clearly they are trying to get my attention....

boots mcgoots

i am a summer chick. i love the beach, i love sandals, i love wearing dresses, tank tops, floaty t-shirts... so i was kind of trying to pretend fall wasn't coming and not start the fall style blogs....
alas. i am also a reader of magazines. and try as i might i cannot ignore all the fall visuals that are being hurled at me. i even dared mention boots in my blog about the t-dress i bought... which got me on a trail in my mind.

boots. i loved boots a lot. they are the fall/winter equivalent of sandals. it's sort of all i wear. the idea of shoes confuses me when it's not summer (except for dressing up - simple. a pump) so i wear them every day. i have a few pairs of boots i love desperately. the one thing missing is the flat black boot. which seems like a pretty basic thing a girl like me ought to have, n'est-ce-pas? so i decided to poke and hunt a bit online. let's call it research. because home girl probably will wait until it all goes on sale...

now this is just the start of the hunt, but i do get a little tingly i have to say, when i look at these beauties. just imagine - a cute little dress, some opaque colored tights (maybe in a dark blood red)... and these. ok - back to reality. it's still 90 degrees (especially in my office, might be 100) so we won't go there just yet - but dare to dream... i have a dream....you get the idea.